Originally Posted by
Aquaticus
That is just a poor risk assessment. On par with parking your investment cash in a money market account because "the recession is right around the corner". Every one has a risk tolerance but staying at a regional because you might get furloughed is about the same as building a castle in the woods for a zombie apocalypse. There will always be regionals hiring with fast upgrade times that will be able to replace your current income and the reward for leaving is quantifiable. Even the worst of the worst times in the industry presented an experienced pilot with employment pretty quickly. If someone gave me that excuse I would understand that their decision making is flawed or they were delusional.
Maybe, maybe not.
If you're 25, absolutely play the long term odds. Even with a furlough, that big-six seniority number is worth vastly more than a regional career, in all respects.
But if you're 50, with a mortgage, family, and college expenses on the horizon a badly-timed move could be a life-altering catastrophe. There's also the small but real risk of new-hire training failure... if you haven't done a new type in years, it's going to be harder.
Right now, of all times, furlough risk is relatively low due to retirements (but only at the majors with multiple fleet types which have a lot of retirements looming).
My understanding of the *intent* of this thread was to help potential noobs to understand career progression opportunities and risks, ie why some people are "stuck", be it by choice, circumstance, or their own damn fault. Not to criticize those who simply choose to stay (although there are risks there too).